The Way of a True Prophet # 3 Bro. Lee Vayle - May 20, 1984 Shall we pray: Heavenly Father, Your prophet said, that You came to us in a Pillar of Fire back in 1933, and we don't have any record of him saying that You left. But, we do have a record of him saying that the Pillar of Fire would lead us into the Millennium. So, we're dependant upon You, Lord, here in our midst and we one with You, and You one with us and recognizing a Headship in Christ Jesus. We thank You for all these things, Lord, we don't understand everything, but by grace we believe we'll understand and know those things that we ought to know in this hour. We are confident of that. We do not have a mind of our own, Lord, concerning these things, so we humbly beseech and invoke You, Lord, that You would give us Your mind and understanding of this and of Yourself, for It's got to come from You. We do not want to have any share in this, Lord. We do not want to have one Word into It, we want It to be all Your Word. And we know that's a great request, and yet it's the only request that we can make, anything short is not going to work. So, we're looking to You, Lord, for the perfect revealed Word of this hour given to us already It has been, but to our understanding. Now, feed us we pray in Jesus' Name. Amen. You may be seated. (Now, we won't need the machines on for a minute.) 1. Now, of course this is the third message taken from 'The Way of a True Prophet', that was preached by Bro. Branham on May 13, 1962. And we got as far as page 19. And in this time I think we can well understand the theme, or the reason of this preachment. It is that Bro. Branham is a true prophet. And in being a true prophet, he went to the Book of Amos. Amos being a true prophet. And using the characteristic's and the ways of Amos, he was able to show how a true prophet acts and he acting, and doing in that manner, had to act and do it in that manner, because that is the way of a true prophet. Understood, or misunderstood is not it. It is being 'it', which Bro. Branham was 'it', which was a true prophet. And not only is this so in the case of Amos, but later on you'll see how he brings in Micaiah who was a true prophet who watched that Word. So, that's what you are looking at. 2. So, we go back to page 18, which is fairly close to where we left off. And he says in the last three paragraphs: [34] But here come a man not caring for that; he came with THUS SAITH THE LORD. See? [35] That's the way of the prophet: no cooperation; knowing what faced him; knew that everything would be against him; knew that they'd reject him, they knew they'd turn him down. But he was coming in the Name of the Lord. (Now, watch that. Coming in the Name of the Lord. That's a true prophet. Alright.) Jesus knew that Calvary was facing Him, but He came in the Name of the Lord. (He said, "I've come in My Father's Name, and you put Me to one side.) See? That's the way of a true prophet. Now, he's trying to get the people to see, "I am a true prophet," said William Branham with the veil over his words. See, now: He had the Word of the Lord for the nation, (now, he's speaking of Amos, though you could put Jesus in there too,) but the true Word of the Lord was foreign to those people; (now, you noticed that, they had the books, but it was foreign to them) yet they thought they had it. (He says in parenthesis) (I hope this gets down deep.) They thought that they were so pious, that the real Word of God was foreign to them. Now, you'll notice in here, that he is letting you know that the people are interpreting the Word on the grounds of themselves, which is both in conduct, and in this hour would be gifts and manifestations. So, they're interpreting the Word through whatsoever they are doing as a group, though they know better than that. Because, that's right in the Book of 1 Corinthians chapters 12, 13, and 14. 3. Now: They thought that they were so pious and so religious, and the real Word of the Lord was absolutely foreign to them. Now, he says here: And that's the way it is today. The true Word of God made manifest is a foreign thing to lots of Pentecostal people. Now, you know that Amos was not Pentecostal, per se. And the people at that hour were not Pentecostal. And the time of Jesus they were not Pentecostal. So, he's letting the people know the earmarks and what to expect concerning himself who is a true prophet, and he's warning them that the Word of God made manifest, and the prophet is the Word of God made manifest. So, he's telling them that when you come to the definitive revelation of the Word of God, it will take a prophet who is that Word made manifest, and It will be foreign to the people. The true Word of God made manifest is a foreign, is foreign thing to lots of Pentecostal people. The real interpretation of the Word, the real woes and curses, the real blessings of God are a foreign thing to many people who call themselves holiness… Now, he lets you know right here, that people do not understand the Word in relationship to cursing and blessing. They simply don't know It. Now, that's what he says. The real interpretation of the Word, the real woes and curses, the real blessings of God is a foreign thing to many people who call themselves holiness… Now, this is where I believe the parallelism of Scripture as I call it, comes in. Wherein Scripturally at the time of Moses It was introduced to the people through the twelve sons of Jacob, (that's Jacob's descendants through the twelve sons) they stood upon Mount Ebal, and the others stood upon Mount Gerizim. And at that particular time God allowed from Mount Gerizim the blessings to go forth, and from Mount Ebal (which maybe signified evil) the curses that went forth. 4. Now, we're going to go to Isaiah 61, in order to lay this in here, so that you fully understand, (though you've had other messages on it) what I am talking about. Now: (1) The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to them that are bound; (2) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, (then he stops there. Now notice:) and the day of (the) vengeance of our God; to comfort (those) that mourn; There's a two thousand year period at that comma, which brings us to this hour and the day of the vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn. Because, within vengeance lies two things: number one - lies vindication of those that are the blessed of the Lord, and pronounce judgment upon those that are not under the blessing, and pronounce blessing to those so that they have explained to them the blessings which are of God at that time. 5. Now, So then the second part of verse 2, is where the parallelism of Scripture comes in. So we read in Isaiah 62:1-5. (We could the whole chapter, we won't.) (1) For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. Now notice, He doesn't quench the light in the lamp. "The bruised reed He doesn't break, the smoking flax He doesn't quench." [Isa 42:3] You notice, when He came to Israel that ended it. The next time they see the scars. [Zech 13:6] And they say, "Well, I hope that's not what I think it is?" He said, "Oh yeah." But he said, "It's alright, that had to be." He said, "No, no problem." You understand? Now, so It says: "The righteousness God will not rest." In other words, He will not cease His activity concerning redemption of Zion, until the last one is in and it's all over. Now notice: "Until righteousness go forth as brightness." In other words, a present hour of glory. "And the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth." That's where the smoking flax in not quenched. (2) And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, (shall see Christ in the form of the Holy Spirit doing the very same thing that He did back there.) See, that's the thing that people don't understand. You go to Pentecost and say, "You know that Jesus is obligated to come back and do for the Gentiles in the form of the Holy Spirit, at the end-time what He did for Israel there in the flesh?" And they say, "Aha, ha, ha, ha, yes He's been doing it for two thousand years." Well, it hasn't been! I'm sorry for them. (2) And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. (3) Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of (the Lord). (That's the Bride. That's Zion.) (4) Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, thy land Beulah: (and) the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. (Now, they think that has something to do with the king of Israel. That's the Millennium.) Now, you come and say that to the fundamentalist, and the Pentecostal's. "Why," they say, "ain't no way." No wonder Bro. Branham couldn't get off the ground. 6. Okay, let's go to Isaiah 63:1-6. (1) Who is this that cometh from Edom, (who's) with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in greatness of his strength? I speak in righteousness, mighty to save. (2) (Therefore) thou art red in thine apparel, and thy garments (are) like him that treadeth in the winefat? (3) I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment(s). (4) For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the (day) of my redeemed is come. Notice a parallelism. You can't get away from it. With the blessing goes the cursing, with the curse goes the blessing. There has never a time they're isolated until it's all over. It's right down the road. Now, he said: (5) …I looked, and there was none to help; I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, upheld me. (6) And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and (will) make drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth. Now, you know that refers to a Coming that is after the first Coming. See? Now, you say, "I think I'll place that over there when the Lord reveals Himself to Israel." Well, that's alright, you can do that if you want to. I'm not going to worry about that, but I can see where the same thing obtains right now. When you go to the Book of Hebrews 6: you will find at the end-time the glory of the Lord is completely revealed in manifestation of power and Word, and the whole area, the people are all anointed, but they're all not anointed to the revelation. And so therefore, they are there as weeds and tares for the burning. 7. Now, let us just notice something here: glory is coming, judgment is coming, and it is now in process, because the prophet said, "The judgments of God are in the earth, and the Sixth Seal opened officially, (not three and a half years, that comes under the Sixth Seal yet) in March of 1964 with the earthquake up there in Alaska. Now, judgment has come and is here, and going on, and will go on. The blessing is come, is here, is going on, and will go on. Now, there is a certain spirit that's in the land. And that spirit, because man went negative, when he left the Word he went negative. Man also psychologically can recall, and does recall more frequently and vividly, pain and disappointments, and problems than he can the blessings and the other things that are nicer in life. So, when we speak of judgment, when we speak of vengeance, we forget that there lies the perfect parallel of the blessing. 8. Now, what I want to get your attention is this: because of this atmosphere and this sense that is inculcated in us, and because, like Bro. Branham said, "I want to get out of this pest house." And because we know the things of God in a measure, such as election, predestination, what must take place will take place. And we only standing here in faith believing, with no proof, any evidence, that anybody could really say, "well, that's it." Like Abraham, it's all shot, but you got a Word from God. Man is apt to go negative, (now, you listen, you're going to find your own thinking here, because you've heard me say too many times myself) all right, let it come. It's about time it came anyway. And by God's grace I'll take what's coming to me. Right? That's not the answer. There's a blessing, and by God's grace I'll take what's coming to me, which is that blessing. See? The parallelism of Scripture. Now, why am I saying this? Because, Bro. Branham said, "The real interpretation of the Word, the real woes and curses, the real blessings of God is foreign to them." Now, they don't know why God cursed Cain. And they're under the curse of Cain right now. Because they have the Word, they live the Word everyway shape and form outside of a revelation. And the last plague that struck Israel is spiritual death, and they have already blasphemed the Holy Ghost, blasphemed the Word of God, and are sealed into the burning. 9. They don't know the real blessings. If they knew the real blessings, they wouldn't be talking about gifts. They wouldn't be talking about governments, and their orders, their memberships, and all of these things. They would be with the revealed Word of God. That's the paradox. That's the paradox. Now, shake yourselves and understand brother/sister, because I'm going to tell you what, I preached a series on 'Paradox'. A lot of men rejoiced. Another brother got a hold of some of the tapes on the Paradox, and he was hearing some very mechanical things like as far as I know, and he got very happy about it. You know why? Because, this is so simple, it's going to go plumb over your heads. I'm through preaching complex. There's no point to it. Now, Bro. Branham said, "I hope this gets down deep." When a true prophet comes on the scene, what that man says, what he does, what he stands for, what God's doing is foreign. 10. I'm going to tell you something brother/sister: this nation at this point could be inundated by the Russians. And we've got about two hundred and forty million people in America right now. The Russians and Chinese got together and sent over five hundred million people we'd be the foreigners. That's right. And they'd be foreign to us too of course. And God speaks an awful lot of that which is foreign. And you go back to the Old Testament's, He consistently held the foreign relationship as to be detrimental to be destructive, to be punitive, to be judgmental. Now, the same prophet of God, if he's a real prophet is introducing a foreign element right here. He said, "I'm going to tell you something:" he said, "when this Word comes, (which is going to contain the real blessing and the real cursing, which is going to show you what it's all about,) is going to be foreign to you, and you're going to be foreign to it." Now, that's terribly simple, if you understand simplicity. You just haven't been taught right. What you know, you know wrong. 11. You know, a lot of people just don't know a woman as a pretty good example of a lot of things. For instance: normally a woman is not much of a mechanic. And she couldn't tell, a little while ago a distributer cap from a carburetor. Unfortunately, I couldn't do much better. Now, if she went in and talked about a distributer cap, what would that poor guy behind the desk do to try to get the parts for a carburetor? Well, I'm going to tell you something: you've all been taught about a carburetor, don't know first thing about a distributer cap when it comes to this. You had the wrong names, the wrong understanding. It's just that simple. But nobody wants to start over again. What is seed-time brother/sister? Starting over again. Isn't the Word to be planted again, the Former Rain again? So therefore, we have a time when the reaper catches up with the sower. While this Word is going plumb on, a Bride is going to be out of here. 12. The reaping actually is a strange reaping, because people don't understand it. It's a ripening. It's a ripening in the sun, and you're reaping at this time. You're being reaped at this time, is a fact that you're ripening under the Word of Almighty God. They didn't understand the real woes and real blessing. Church members, Christians; It's a foreign thing to them; they don't know It. Mention It to them, never heard of such a thing. Aw, come on, ever heard of what? Woes and cursing? Sure. "Well," you say, "I sure did." Not the way the prophet said it. Not the way the prophet said it. God's Word being manifested, not the way the prophet said it. "Oh," they said, "God's Word, that's tongues. That's interpretations, that's this, that's that." This is the people coming in, "A million more in '54," and so on. He said, "That's not it at all." He said, "You blew it." And yet their organizations grow and prosper, getting bigger and bigger, and members all the time, more organizations added every year. They thought that anything that came to them had to come out of those sectarian groups. (No way. See?) 13. All right: [36] Certainly they wouldn't receive him; neither would they do it today. People say, "Well, hey, if this William Branham you talk about is so great, how come we didn't hear about him?" No way you can hear about him. Your big boys wouldn't receive him. See? They had long forgot that God was able of these stones to rise up true prophets to God. God's able of the backwoodsman; …able to raise of these stones men that'll stand for His Word and prophesy in His Name the Truth, laying the axe to the root of the trees and let the chips fall. I don't care whether you got cooperation or no cooperation. But that's the way of a true prophet. Now, he's talking about bringing the days of Jesus wherein He was present in flesh to this hour where the prophet is the manifested Word of God in flesh. Where the Spirit is come and to do for the Gentiles what He did back there, and He's letting them know that they're not going to be able to believe it, they're not going to take it. Now, they will reject Matthew 12, which is the complete picture of Jesus in the Holy Spirit, (form of the Spirit) doing what He did back there when He was on earth. 14. Now, we're going to go to Matthew 9:24, (if I got this down right.) Now: "Jesus went to the place where the little girl was dead. And He said, "she is not dead, she is just sleeping, and they laughed him to scorn." [Lk 8:52-53.] You know something? The same people that saw that happen said, "Well, you fooled us, wonderful. But, you're still not going to sell us all that junk that you preach is to the revealed Word of God, and that you're the Word of God. Get out of here!" You got the same thing right today. There is no way that Christ can be received in the form of the Holy Spirit. Notice, this prophet is going to be a loner. And he will refuse to be advised, because advice comes from organizations and men around them. But, he will advise. He has 'Thus Saith the Lord'. Some people thinks (this prophet's) got it easy. They don't know what they speak of. He wasn't brought to town in a carriage, fine harnessed horses, with their tassels, and high priests standing out there with big high things on their heads bowing to him, "Honorable Doctor So-and-so is coming." That would have been some organizational setup. Well, this man is not part of organization. Do you think they're going to kowtow to him? No! They just might send an emissary like the Scribes and the Pharisees to John. And then when the thing gets hot, they sent a delegation to Jesus and said, "Lay it on the line, boy, you ain't telling us nothing." 15. Now, now let's just think of this a minute, what if Bro. Branham is really correct, that the Holy Spirit has come up through the Church, through Seven Church Ages and has returned to Headship? Now, they don't even know where that's found. Do you know where it's found? Ephesians 4. Exactly where It is. The same One is in Ephesians 1:17-19. His work previously in between 1:17-19, and Ephesians 4:15-16, was the continuity of Ephesians 1:13-14 for everybody and a specialized ministry of the Word from verse 7 to about 15 of chapter 4. I know what I'm talking about. The theologian doesn't. You know why I know? The prophet gave the keys. I wouldn't know it myself, but, you saw the paradox, I was a hundred percent on target. Because you can't change the Word of God. Now, they're not going to listen. Because, you see, if he was one of them he would be saying what they said. And that's always where the whole thing goes. Everything is based on a Word, which formulates a philosophy known as a doctrine. And what if your Word's wrong? 16. I wonder if I've still got that in my Bible, Reader's Digest. Was it Michener? Yeah, he went over there to Africa. He wrote this: "Integrity in words protect integrity in life. If the word is corrupted everything that stems from it will be evil.” How did that man write that? Under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Just like this: "Every eye seeth." You say, "Brother, I don't know that every eye saw." Well, every eye per se, wouldn't have to see. Because It says all Jerusalem went out to Him." You mean the whole city emptied? Where do you put it? I don't say that's right, but I say it's something to think about. "Honorable Doctor So-and-so." And like the King of all of them came, came to a stable in a barn, cow barn; never came in pomp and glory, came in humility of a baby born in a barn. (That's where you and I got to come as little children, forget what you know.) Amos didn't come the Word of the Lord, 'cause he was the Word of the Lord. (Well, there's a little discrepancy in there, but he's trying to tell you, this Amos could not of come that way, because he was the Word of the Lord.) Any Word of God, it isn't the person; it's God. Now see, there's the thing he's trying to get your eyes on. Don't get your eyes on the man and get carried away, just because there's a difference in how he acts, the difference in how he dresses, the difference in how he speaks and all those things. He said, "Begin to probe it, in the Light of what really lies there if anything is lying there." See? Don't try to identify in the regular channels. That's why you can't understand Bro. Branham with your own thinking. Jesus said, "It's not I that doeth the works." They said, "You're a man making yourself God." [37] He said, "Then if I do not the works of God, don't believe Me. But if the works speak themselves, believe the works, if you don't want to believe Me." 17. Let's go back to John 10, where he's into that. (That's the best way to do it, just keep going to Scripture, what He says.) All right, 30-38. Now: (30) I and my Father are one. (31) Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Now, you see, that blew the miracles right there. Now look, let's get this flat: they were zealous. They were ready to die if necessary and die they did. You bet. They're ready to die for it they said. He said, "I and my Father are one." The said, "Get Him, that does it." Entirely irrational, because they couldn't put it together, and they wouldn't listen. (31) Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. (32) Jesus (said), Many good works have I (showed) you from my Father; for which of (these) works do (you) stone me? (33) (They said), For a good work we (do)not stone (you); but for blasphemy… 18. You see, always the paradox. It's not what is done, it's what is said about that which is done, when it comes to this. (33) …(you) being a man, (make yourself) God. (34) Jesus (said), Is it not written in your law, Ye are gods? (35) If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, (that's the prophet's Bro. Branham said,) the scripture cannot be broken; (36) Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? (37) If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. Now, the challenge was thrown out. Take it to the Word and see where it goes. They wouldn't take it to the Word, they took it right to their creeds and dogmas. They worry what Hillel said, and Shammai said. [during the Babylonian captivity] They didn't care about anybody else. Didn't care what God said, they're two great theologians. (37) If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. (38) But if I do, though (you) believe not me, believe the works:… Now, in other words, there must be something in the definitive that positively indicated that when this One came, He would be involved in those works. 19. Now, if Bro. Branham is correct in his statement, that He is obligated to do for the Gentiles in the form of the Holy Spirit at the end-time, to Israel in the flesh, then that's got to be in the Word, and It is in the Word! As this was in the Word. But, they chose to disregard the Person that was the authority. They still can't understand how that this big Russian bull comes in and picks up the (choom!) these big weights. Now, here's little old skinny somebody here that can't…like me, can't lift up a toothpick. Now, if you've got one ounce of brains, (now, I don't know if you have or not. Sitting here listening to me, I don't think you have,) you wouldn't say, "Lee, I want you to explain all about bulging muscles." Well, how bulging? Go to the Russian, he's the guy with the muscles, he'll tell you about muscles. He's the authority. Now, a Word prophet is an authority. And at this particular time It is a tremendous authority. Because, you have an actual repeat. Now, why couldn't they not understand that a prophet with 'Thus Saith the Lord', plus this ministry that would rival a ministry like Moses, there was a legitimate parallel of the ministry of Jesus Christ. How come they couldn't say and see, "Hey, that guy's got something?" I wonder if he'll tell me about it. 20. So, they came and they said, "How does this work, how does that work, how's the other thing work?" And he begin telling them, and all he got was a great big fat 'schmozzle'. Now, even I've got enough brains to not ask anybody how a car works. It wouldn't do you any good to tell me, forget it. Because, I'm not interested messing with cars. Well, neither were these people interested in messing with the Word, so to speak. They wanted to know how to perform gifts. They said, "Well, Bro. Branham, don't tell those lovely ladies not to wear slacks and not to cut their hair. Teach them on gifts." He said, "How can I do that, when they don't know their ABC's? How can I teach them algebra?" See? They couldn't understand. Now, he said, "Look, you just take a good look at those works, and if you can find anybody here outside of me doing it." He said, "Alright, if you find somebody, forget it. But, if when you look, you cannot find anybody." And William Branham was known as number one man, doing what nobody else did. And when John 10 was over Jesus said, "If I had not done the works any other man did, they had not sinned." But he said, "Now they've both seen and hated both Me and my Father." And when he opened the eyes of the man born blind, the man born blind said, "What's the matter with you guys, (he said,) this fellow's got to be somebody. When was it ever heard that a man born blind ever had his sight returned." And that's true, nobody ever knew of it. Say, "Why don't you listen to Him? He's got to have something nobody else's got, not even in history book." "Oh," they said, "shut up, who are you trying to tell us?" So, Jesus turned around and said, He said, "I'm going to tell you something: you say that you see, therefore you're blind, and your blindness remains." 21. Now, a true prophet has got to do that, because Jesus was the Prophet, and He came and did it. Now, you notice that Bro. Branham just threw Jesus in here the odd time. He goes back to Amos, he goes back to Micaiah. I'm going to tell you something: the parallel is Jesus. The parallel is Jesus. Oh, they couldn't take it. So, He said, "If I don't do the works of God, then don't believe Me." Now, He said, "The works are trying to tell you something. Believe the works, if you don't want to believe Me, then you'll begin seeing something." Amos was God's Word walking down the road. Now, Amos wasn't 'Thee' Word of God walking down the road. He was God's Word. There's a difference between God's Word, and 'Thee' Word of God. If you understand the emphasis. He walked in crudely, not in the fashions of the world. He come in the power of the Spirit; that's the way the Word of God comes, not in organizational creed, not in a sissified something in the pulpit; but It comes in the power of the Spirit to manifest God to the nation and to the people. It's difference. How much different? 22. Well, let's go back and out it the man's true or not. We read this dozens of times. First Corinthians 2. (1) …I, brethren, when I came to you, (you) came not with excellency of speech (and) of wisdom, (giving little 'sugar-tips' as Bro. Branham said.) declaring unto you the testimony of God. How could you fully reveal and bring into operation a testimony of God, unless, you had something to back it up. You just couldn't come out and say, "Well, bless the Lord, I was dreaming last night, and I had this great dream, (said this sister, and she said,) there's no such thing as one God, I saw three of them. There was the big God, the middle God, and little God." I said, "She saw the 'Three Bears'." [laughter] And of course they were…of course I blasphemed right there. I was very kind when I said that. I should have said, "She's been seduced by the devil, like her forerunner Eve." She's a product of the organization. Satan's already got her where he wants her. (I didn't know to say that, or I would have.) A vision. When did a woman ever have a vision of God? Not running women down, let's get the thing in order. I know people think we're tough on women. Hogwash. You go out here now, we got a…you got to have cross-pollenization. So, what do you do? You got a bunch of female holly and don't bring don't bring any male hollies around, there's going to be no holly. Just a law God laid down. Women can't handle the Word. God laid her down. They're not going to be prophetess and have the Word, visions …?... Oh, some little vision they might have, don't talk about Godhead. Showed you just where she was. She was way off the Word. 23. Now: [2 Corinthians 2:] (1) …the testimony of God. (2) For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Christ, and him crucified. (3) And (he said,) I was with you…in fear, (and weakness, and in much trembling. (4) …my speech and my preaching not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of Spirit and of power: Didn't he just raise his voice and yell and wave his arms? Haw, you can be a hypocritical slob and do that. He must have had something to back him up. A vindicated prophet. I just challenge anybody to meet with the Pillar of Fire and talk with God face to face, and come along and say, "Amen, He was wonderful, it was marvelous." We say, "I believe that, I believe that." [pointing to the two pictures] Haw, fap! Give me something to go by. That's like somebody said, "Be you warm and fed. I know you don't have any, but I won't give you a nickel to help you, but, be you warm and fed." Aw come on, pass the buck kid. Don't just give me five fingers, give me five bucks. Oh, come on, come on, come on. Look, the insane are out there, not here. The insane are outside. 24. Now, it's realized, but forgotten long ago that the God is able of stones to rise up true prophets. (We'll get that in a minute. See, raise up from stones prophets.) They didn't have... Their organization didn't have to raise up a true prophet, 'cause it, perhaps, couldn't do it; 'cause if it'd be, it'd be an organizational prophet. (Sure) But God raises; God takes what He wants. He takes nothing, usually, to do His work; (The weak things, you know, the humble things.) shows that It's God. If a man's all puffed up and thinks he's something, then God can't use him, because there's too much of himself. That's what's the matter with the Christian church today. They're think they know something. But the Bible says when a man thinks he knows something, he knows nothing that he ought to know it. 25. Let's find out about that one. That's 1 Corinthians 8, because he's trying to tell us something here. We better look It up. Let's read the first two verses. (1) (As) touching things offered (to) idols, we know that (you have all) knowledge. Knowledge (puffs) up, (and) charity (edifies). Look at that, he's talking about idols. Idolatry. And he said, "you've got a knowledge of it." And he said, "you've got every single bit of knowledge that you know." But, he said, "knowledge puffs up, charity edifies." (2) And if any man think that he (knows) any thing, he (knows) nothing as he ought to know (it). All right, he's telling you right there, and the topic is 'idolatry'. And he said, "You've got idolatry all figured out. I'm going to tell you something, you ain't got it figured out. Because, they're going to leave the gospel, they're going to leave the Spirit of God." 26. That's right, I believe right in 2 Corinthians, the same bunch went completely haywire. You know as well as I do, 2 Corinthians 11, and here's what Paul said what was going to happen. (4) For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, we have not preached, receive another spirit, (we) have not received, (and preach) another gospel… They would go wrong on Jesus, on the Spirit, on the Word. They couldn't reconcile one God. They'd be in idolatry. And he said, "Oh, you know all about idolatry." "Let's go before those images there and offering food and say, 'this, this, this'." And the Catholic church comes right along and says, "Well now, this image represents Mary." It wasn't, it was the queen of the heavens, Ashtaroth, [1 Kings 11:5] old Irene, the rest of them. But, we'll give it a Christian name. We'll make this one Paul. See, really Jupiter, or something else, you know. We know all about idolatry, it's right in the Catholic church, right in the Protestant church. Now, when did God send prophets? Mostly at a time of idolatry. Yep. 27. Now: That's the trouble today, we got so much self, so much hypocrisy, (sure, because they know better, see,) so much education, so much religion, and know nothing about the salvation of the Word of God. Now, it doesn't say the salvation that people think they know, it's the salvation of the Word of God. Because, Paul said, "they'd leave the gospel." And the gospel is "the power of God unto salvation." [Rom 1:16] And at the end-time they went Jesus Only. Brother, I'll tell you what, you talk about a kooked up situation. Now: That's the pitiful part of it. (They don't understand.) 28. Well, let's go back and understand. So we go to Philippians 3:1-9. (1) Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me is not grievous, but for you (it's) safe. (2) Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, (that's Cain) beware of the concision. (That's your legalist.) (3) For we are (of) the circumcision, (that's the grace man) which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Jesus Christ, and have no confidence… Notice he said, "We worship God, rejoice in Jesus Christ." Got to keep them where they belong. (3) …no confidence in the flesh (4) Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any man (thinks) that whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: (5) Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; (6) Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (7) But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. (8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: (Notice, the knowledge is what is going to him the good and) for whom (I've) suffered (all) the loss of all things, How? Through a knowledge. You don't suffer and have any trouble with Jesus, 'you just talk sweet Jesus, sweet Jesus, sweet Jesus, but, you talk about baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, oh my, talk about a hornet's nest. They'll roast your hide for you right now. Let's get the understanding brother/sister, the doctrine's what stirs up all the trouble. It's not talking about Jesus, even a Hindu will go along with you. And you say, "I wish you were more like Jesus, because didn't your Jesus heal the sick and raise the dead. We could use a fellow like that." Oh, certainly you could. Well, this the Fellow that did has something to say. "What did you say?" [laughter] Oh sure, that's the Bible said, "plug their ears." Stretch the neck, poke out the tongue, it's all Scriptural. (But I just made that up. I'm pretty close, don't worry. Don't worry, I'm not far off the Word on that one.) There's some Scripture for it. I just got to get together on it. 29. Now listen, let's go to Philippians 2:5-8, now though. (5) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Now, It tells you right there and Bro. Branham brought that very Scripture out, the becoming of God. They said, "Forget it, we don't want that." You cannot come…no prophet, no prophet can get away with what he says. They'll get him. That's right. I don't care what anybody says. That's the Bible says that. I'll give It to you in just a little while. 30. Now: [38] Yes! They'd forgot that God was able of these stone to raise children unto Abraham or raise up true prophets of the Word. Now, in other words, the prophet is saying here: look, get this flat, this is how God does it. He's not going to raise stones into prophets. Stones would cry out. This is how He does it. But, He could do it, if He wanted to. He could do it. They don't have to come out of some certain school. God gives them their schooling. They don't have to have four degrees in college. (They'd be mostly cold anyway.) They don't have to have their bachelor of art, their doctor's degree, and so forth; they don't have to have that. God takes anything He wants to and puts His Word in it. I like what he said there, because, I've often said this: if God put His Word in a door knob, or God was in a door knob, that would be God. That's how Bro. Branham was God to the people. That's how Jesus was God, He was more than a man, let's get that. And Bro. Branham had a ministry more than a man's. And he had a ministry, more than just Ephesians 4. Oh yeah, don't sell that short brother/sister. 31. Now, it says here: God takes anything He wants to and puts His Word in it. How does He do it? He manifests it and proves it. (Paradox.) Just as soon as God proves it, they're not going to listen anyway. What is God trying to do? Get His Word across. What is He trying to do to get His Word across? Get His people out. Get them in. They don't understand. Now, why does he keep saying about the stones, about God could make stones become prophets? 32. Oh, let's go back to Isaiah 40:3-8, and see if we can just get a little insight here. I don't know how good my insight is, but…the prophet has a reason for saying these things. And so I kind of look at it, and maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong. Okay: (3) The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway (of) our God. (4) Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: (5) …the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, all flesh shall see it together: the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. (6) The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the (grass): (7) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. (8) The grass withereth, the flower (fades): but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Now remember, the Word is likened unto a rock. So therefore, the Word is foundation as a rock, and therefore, then anybody that brings the Word would have to be solid rock. So yeah, you're getting a basis right there on it. 33. All right, let's go to Luke 19:38-40. It says here: (38) Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. (39) And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said, Master, rebuke thy disciples. (40) And (Jesus) said, I tell you, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. Now, what they're crying out is what the prophet said. They would cry out. 34. Now, let's go back to Luke 3:8. He said here: (8) Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Now, He's telling you right there as I see It in a continuity, that whatever Abraham was, being a prophet, and whatever constitutes a prophet by reason of Word, goes back to God. And therefore Peter said, "You are the children of the prophet." [Acts 3:25] He's showing a continuity there, that if there wasn't somebody here now to be the fulfillment of that Word, God would be duty bound to perform a creation, or to bring to pass in another element, a seer that which would fulfill His Word, because, "His Word cannot return void," [Isa 55:11] It's got to be fulfilled. So He said, "Now look here, (He said) if these didn't do it (He said) he'd raise up stones." [Lk 19:40] What do you want? Cut the human race out? No, that's why Moses said, he said, "If you kill them, kill me." [Num 11:15] But, the day they came against Moses the Word, he said, "Lord, (he said) if these men die the common death, You didn't even send me, (he said) forget it." [Num 16:29] See, a prophet doesn't fool with the Word brother/sister. He doesn't fool with It. There's your paradox. 35. They couldn't say what seminary Jesus come out of. He didn't have any. (So, how could they say it?) "What school's He from?" He didn't have any. Oh, what did He have? He had God, and He was the Word. They couldn't point back to some school. God never did raise a man out of a school. Go down through history and find out where He ever did. He doesn't. He takes something from somewhere else that's got nothing, no hopes… You say, "Well, what about the apostle Paul?" Well, what a testimony Paul gave his church. "They filled my head with manure." Brother, I have problems with sinus, what a testimony. Where did you get your theology? "Out of the barnyard; Rabbi So and so, had the finest manure spreader in the country." [laughter] Oh, brother! God get's him out. Here's old Paul, "Who art you Lord?" "I'm Jesus." He said, "What'd you say? Oh, (he said) I'm in trouble, (he said) I'm great trouble." He said, "There, the whole thing went right there." God struck him blind, to give him light. [Acts 9:] God struck a man dumb, so when he came to, he'd say the right thing. So, God's using His chisel and His hammer trying to chisel out all this hardened matter up here, (pardon the expression, 'fecal matter') so when the blood is applied the life can begin to flow to the brain, you get somewhere. 36. Don't feel bad if your thoughts have got to go. What have you been trying to do all these years? You didn't even know it, you're struggling to get rid of your own lousy thinking. Who needs to think when it's been thawed out? He takes something from somewhere else that's got nothing, no hopes for it, then He brings that in and places His Word in it, and manifests Himself. (He's taking about Paul there now, you see.) That's what He was doing here in Amos. All right. Now, Amos' word was vindicated by God in the day--in their own days. (Now, that's back there. What's He going to do today? If William Branham is a true prophet, Amos is a true prophet, we're going to have a parallel.) God vindicated Amos' word to be, …the Word of the Lord. And if he would come to us right now, do you think our nation and our people would receive a man like that? Do you think the Baptists would receive Amos? the Methodists? the Presbyterian? the Pentecostals? Catholics? No, sir. No, certainly not. 37. All right, now, the thing is this: God and the prophet has one Word, and the seminary doesn't have the Word. The organization doesn't have the Word, and the prophet by himself doesn't have the Word. And a prophet of God can only have God's Word. "You see, I put My Word in your mouth," [Isa 51:16a] That's right. Now, what was the reaction to this man? Kill him! See? Now: Let's look for a moment: [39] Let's for just a moment transport Amos, and bring him here just a minute, and find out if they would do, what they would do with him. Let's just see whether the churches would receive him today. All right: The first thing he would do; he would disagree with every organization, Why? Because it's blasphemous names. Where does the Bible say you're Baptist, Methodist? It says, you're Christians. It doesn't say anything about Catholic, Protestant, this, that, and the other thing. Now, both the words Catholic, Protestant's are good words. Because the Catholic means 'universal', and Protestant means 'to protest'. And certainly they should do both. The Catholic church should have protested. The only time they protested was, when something came against them which was the Light and they said, "Hey, we're it, we're the original." The original what? The original fallen church! [laughter] That's what they were, anybody knows that. The Catholic church knows it. They know they're off target, come on! Certainly. Talk to their theologians, now they're talking in tongues. I got nothing wrong with that, they do what they want. He could have hit the organizations. 38. Now remember, Jesus said, "I came in My Father's Name." [Jn 5:43] There'll be those come in their own name. See? But, Bro. Branham came in the Name of the Lord. Amos came in the Name of the Lord. Jesus came in the Name of the Lord. Paul came in the Name of the Lord. That's why you and I are in the Name of the Lord. That's why we're Mrs. Jesus. The Word of betrothal. Yes, sir. He would condemn our whole setup. That's right. Every doctrine, (now listen: every doctrine) every creed, every denomination, he'd condemn the whole thing. You say, "Now hold it, hold it, hold it." No, that's right. It's get out, or die with it. How many lived that stayed in Egypt? Why, come on, the whole mob that came out of Egypt died. Fap! Coming out, anybody can come out. 39. Years ago they had these debutant parties, 'the coming out'. I remember when I was a little kid we read in the paper about this great socialitist, or whatever her name was, coming out. Maybe she was one of the Dodge's daughter's or Vanderbilt, or Astor, who gives a rip. And of course some were ugly as a hedge-fence. So, her coming out didn't bring her in to marriage. Anybody can come out. (phfftt!) Pardon my vulgarity, but that's… I'm vulgar. So, one girl once said, she said, "Pardon my manners, I don't have any." And that's the way it is. If you think I'm uncouth, then go out and buy me some 'couth'. My goodness, what a mess the world's in. The whole thing's a mess. I can see some of these Pentecostal presbyters saying, "Why, glory to God. Why, we wouldn't have that man in our town." …what do you think the Presbyterians and Baptists would do? "Why, that ignoramus, we don't want him around our country. …nothing but a crank." They'd sign a paper to put him in prison, if they could, get him off the streets. But you think you could keep him there? Oh, no. You can't cage the Word of God. They put Paul in prison. He said, "I'm bound and in prison." But he said, "The Word of God is not bound." And being in prison he got to the top man, the big man at the top. And day by day people came and got the Word. There's a parallel right here if I want to talk about it. Oh, no. It'll come forth anyhow. Prison bars opened one night when they tried to cage It. A Light came…delivered Peter out. Oh no, he would certainly disagree with our setup. (Delivered Paul too, you see.) [40] What would he start doing? (Now, this is going to tell you about this ministry. What would he start doing?) Tearing it down. Why? He's a servant of God. Then, want about a five-fold ministry? Where are they? What's good about having a prophet if you don't want any steps? Why do you think he reared back that day and say, "somebody's got to tell them." Oh, why doesn't somebody else tell them? I'd like to get the heat off for one myself. 40. I what to tell you something: You stick your neck out, God won't let you down. You don't stick your neck out, you're already down. Abraham had to stay there and say, "I'm Father of Nations, hallelujah." He said, "You got a young wife?" He said, "There she is right there," "Man, why she looks worse than you do." "Well, she is. We're going to have it anyhow." "Oh my," he said… …?... "You know, Abraham if he just get his 'crack-pot' religion… Oh that Bro. Branham, (you know) you can't say a thing against his character. Heavens to Betsy, the man had a ministry just like Jesus Christ, but oh merciful heavens, that doctrine?" Bro. Branham, I tell you what…(as one fellow said, he's Mr. …?... back in 1957 was it? somewhere in that, back in Lima? What's that hotel right down there, the nice hotel, they got a good restaurant again, right off of main street just a little bit, I mean off of Marcus Street. That one anyway, you know. Bill, Mary, we know where it is.) sat there at dinner table and he said, "William Branham (he said) you ought to do the praying for the sick, and leave the teaching to us teachers." Uh, ha, ha, ha, oh, a lovely love! Kennedy's menagerie traw [acronym for 'thick-rich-and-white'] has nothing on some of that stuff. If you don't know what it means, look it up, and I'll explain it to you. Give you the quotes. 41. All right. Where are we? Well, let's find out. I've been talking Ephesians 4, so let's read it to you. We don't want to make any mistakes. We've got all day, we're not going anywhere this minute. And I'm not going to get this sermon finished of Bro. Branham's for a long, long time, especially if I go away for a little while. So, we're going to take our time, I'm not in any rush. Give me the ninety minutes and it's over. All right: He that went up came back as the Holy Ghost in order to fill all things, to bring about the Ascension that he wants, he gave what? Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, five-fold ministry. That's not the baptism with the Holy Ghost, my brother, my sister, but they got to have it. This is a special purpose for a special thing that came from the beginning and worked itself down until It came right back to Headship, the Holy Spirit through Seven Church Ages. Back to Headship. 42. Now: [Ephesians 4:] (12) For the perfecting of the saints…(They're already saints that get this. This doesn't make you born again, this is because you are born again.) for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, (to) a perfect man, the measure of the stature of Christ: (14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, (in other words, it's going to be sons) carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (15) But (holding) the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (16) From whom the whole body… In other words, whatever He came, it's step by step and poured in from the foundation. And I showed you what it was in the 'Stature of a Perfect Man'. Well, here we are, [Bro. Vayle illustrates on a board] right up here, it's the same thing. Here we are, everything coming down this way, coming down, coming down, pouring into the church. See? Until, one day it was all down. Then when it was all down, what are you back to? Headship. Why? Because, if It's all down, then He's all here. All the Word, the whole thing, what more do you want? I don't understand people's thinking, or course I'm not even going to try to understand people's thinking, I'm trying to understand God's thinking. Now here It is, It says here: (16) From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Tells you, coming down to bring It up. It's all poured in, it's over, back to Headship. All right, now: Five-fold ministry has got to do that. Where do you get It from? Get It from the prophet. What is this: Former Rain, Former Rain again in the time of Latter Rain. Original sowing, same sowing. You're right back to original. If you correct the errors, there's no problem, fill in what's missing. 43. Okay, what would he start doing? Tearing it down. Why? He's the servant of God. He would go straight to the foundation to start his campaign, right straight back and tear every creed off of it and go back to the foundation. Bro. Branham said, "He's in full view, because the sword of the prophet has ripped the side of every creed and every dogma. So, you've got an understanding. What is the foundation? On God's Word. Right. "Heavens and earth will pass away, My Word shall not." Anything that's not the Word of God brother/sister offends. Anything that's not the Word of God offends. I'm going to tell you something: God is offended with organization. "Oh, the Lord loves organization." No, He doesn't love your organization. I'm sorry about that. He hates it. So he'd tear every denomination, every creed, every doctrine, out of it, throw it sideways; blast it to eternity. You think the Pentecostals would receive him? No, sir. No. Baptists, Presbyterians? No, sir. Nazarenes, Pentecostals? No sir. Pilgrim Holiness? They'd hate him. Certainly. 44. Then should a five-fold ministry have it different? If you're a hail fellow well met, then just go on meet some more. Go out and meet him once more. Go sit around picking your teeth, and saying nice little things that you think that are so nice, you know… I tell you what: Honest to Pete, I guess something I can't understand, it just makes me want to vomit, is when you see these people that are really coveted…they just come around…they're stripping on something. What they're eating, they love and it would nauseate me plumb to my middle. "Well," you say, "I don't think you should tear down." (Phftt!) [laughter] I don't know what you're thinking about. I've been here for just about two solid years tearing down everybody's thinking I can, starting with my own. Tearing it all out the best I can, bring it right back to where the prophet is if I'm there. I don't know, I hope so. At least we're trying. See? 45. Now, they hated Jesus, they hated Amos, they hated Bro. Branham, they're going to hate us. You think they'd go out and meet him in a limousine and bring the city? Oh they'd pray for the sun to scorch him up there. I wonder if Bro. Branham heard about himself just about that time? Because, you know, he could hear things in his closet like Elisha did. He could have kept the secrets. I saw [Philip] De Coursy's letter you know. De Coursy was very famous Christian at one time. I don't know if he's living or not. But he was in intelligence and his articles concerning Russia and Communism were in all the big papers, he was a very big lead man in Britain. And you know that he approached Bro. Branham through channels, that Bro. Branham having a ministry like Elijah, that he could sit here in United States and read what's going on in the Kremlin. And Bro. Branham thought it over, why not? And then, he realized, or whatever happened, he never did it. Now, you don't go into politics with the things of God. They'd set up a barricade to keep him out of town. (In other words, they'd black-balled him in the organization.) Why, there'd be more ministerial meetings around over the city you ever seen in your life. "Keep that crank out of this city." But yet he had THUS SAITH THE LORD. See? That's the way of a true prophet. 46. You know, when Bro. Branham came to Lima in 1957 (I guess it was) we had gone there and tried to get the Allen County Memorial Hall, and we got it alright, and it caught on fire. And so, don't you know, they had to remodel it. And so, the Fisher's of Men bunch, which is your big fundamental bunch, you know, (I think…well, I'm not going to say that…too many puns always spoil a sermon, I'll let it go,) but anyway, they couldn't have that building either then you see, because it wasn't ready for the time their big deal came on. So they went down to a high school auditorium. And I found out later, they said, "Well, we're sure glad, because you see, our crowd would have brought a crowd for that Branham guy. And we didn't want it, because you see, he's such a mess." That's what they said about him. And then, you know what happened? They had a tiny little bunch down in their high school, and that arena, that building was almost packed out. "Oh yeah, we'll do our best, that guy, who is he?" "Well you see, we don't go for healing, that's just Mark 16." You're gone, you're gone. Because the man Himself, God, Pillar of Fire came right down. And It said, "This is the way it is, and that's the way it's going to be and it was." And they said, "Oh, we love You Lord, hallelujah!" He said, "Shut up, you hate me." "Oh, no…" Oh, don't you dare answer back to me brother/sister, you see here, I'm going to take you right to Matthew 7:21, over here. (21) Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, enter(s) into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father. (22) Many will say to me, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? cast out devils? done wonderful works? (23) (He said,) I never knew you... (Never knew you. You never were in the election. You bet, now see, keep that old crank out.) 47. But yet he had THUS SAITH THE LORD. See? That's the way of a true prophet. He'd be despised. Certainly. He would go straight to the foundation for his campaign. [41] He wouldn't say, "Now, I want all you Methodists come in and help me. All you Baptists, I want all you people around here... All Pentecostals, you claim that you're the last group that God's going to call; I want you all come to me, and I want you to support my campaign.” (Well, how can he say that when the Spirit is supposed to call them out? See?) Now, he said this fellow here, which is talking of Jesus the same time as Amos, talking about him. Now, he said, right here, he said: He'd be despised. Certainly! 48. Okay, let's go to John 15:18-21. Now here's what they did to Jesus. He said: (18) If the world hate you, (you) know that it hated me before it hated you. (19) If (you) were of the world, the world would love his own: but because (you're) not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world (hates) you. You know something? How would you like to lose one of your fingers? You'd say, "no way." Neither does any organization or church that doesn't understand like to lose even the tiniest member, though he or she didn't do much. I don't like losing my little finger. I could get along without it, I don't like losing it, nor does organization. And they'll fight, they'll kill for it. The Catholic church kills to bring them in, they kill to keep them in. The Protestant's are just as rotten. They're doing the same rotten things, because where the one will just use physical death, the other will use a spiritual death, although they're both in there together on it. Now: (20) Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours. 49. Okay, very good. John 16:1-3. (And that's just same page) (1) These things have I spoken unto you, that (you) should not be offended. (2) (They'll) put you out of the synagogues: the time (comes they'll kill) you think (they do) God (a) service. (3) And (all) these things (they'll) do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. Now, they'll tell you that's their recourse. The recourse is death, penalty, disruption, persecution, because they can't answer the Word. Never could, never will. They got their own. He'd be despised, yep. “How do you baptize? What's the initial evidence of the Holy Ghost?" Those questions would be thrown in his face; and he'd come back with Bible Truth, and they turned him down. But that's the way of a true prophet. He's got all that to confront. See? 50. Now, what about the ministry? We've got a bunch right now, that's got this big ecumenical thing going amongst us. I can't buy that for one minute. I believe you don't un-Christianize anybody, try to be the very best you can and all, but look, either William Branham lied in one place, or lied in another place, or you got to reconcile what he said. He said he came, he said, "by the grace of God, we have the perfect interpretation, the Word of this hour." And I want to ask one question: who William Branham gave? He said, "I did." God gave It to me. And he said I've got a gift that I can tell it just like he told me, and I can tell It exactly as he showed me. And nobody else, but nobody's got that gift. I've got it, so therefore I am right, I'm infallible. He said, "Then make up your mind." Did you not say, "One word off is Satan's kingdom?" "Oh, well, that was …?... , did I say that?" Do you think he'd talk like that? That's what he said, "One Word off is Satan's kingdom." What if I'm off? But, he did explain it a little later on, got deeper when he went into the …?... he said, "It goes off on doctrine." I'd known that for years, but never found where he said it, until one day I discovered it where he said it. It's when you change It. And I don't care if you use one word, or a million words, if you change It, It's done changed. If you change the meaning, if you change the application, if you mis-divide you are no longer approved. Then if you're not approved, are you sitting there in a neutral condition? No! He that's not for me, is against me! You can't be in neutral! 51. I keep preaching, we've rounded a corner. You're not sitting on a fence anymore. And when you turn a corner my brother, my sister, you've turned a corner! You're not longer in that direction. You're no longer seeing what you once saw. And alright, don't try to fool with it. Even reading a road map wrong is great difficulty, gives you great problems. Certainly, we wouldn't receive him. No, sir. "We'd have none of his campaigns in our country. No, indeedy. We wouldn't have him. No, sir." But he would come and bring the church back to the Word, and That is the Foundation. Why is It the foundation? Because, that's exactly true. You say, "How do you know?" Because, that's where they got off. What's the first thing God began doing in the beginning? Divide His Word. That's all. Divide His Word which separates His thoughts. Sit there for trillions of years and then it's all over. Then begin to come forth in a manifestation. God becoming. God had to put Himself in a position whereby creation could come. Now: …anybody lays on any other foundation, it's sinking sand. (That's right, the Bible says so, that's in Matthew) Upon this Foundation alone God builds His church: upon the doctrine of the apostles. Why is this so? Well, over in Hebrews 11:3, It says, "By faith we understand the worlds were formed by the word of God," nothing else. 52. Let's go back to Job 26:7. (7) He stretcheth out the north over the empty (space), and hangeth the earth upon nothing. What's the foundation? Word! What's the foundation of everything? Word! People say it's God. No, It's Word! Of course, God is the Word, but just don't take that too far in this particular instance. Remember, He's the Capstone. As I was saying the other day, there's someone talking about purgatory gave a reference to many like St. Francis and St. Cecilia, she's praying for certain people out of purgatory, give such an authorities as that. That's unscriptural authority; it's people who does that, that does not have authority. Remember, that Mormon came to me one time in Canada and he saw me discerning, of which I shouldn't have been doing, and praying for sick and they get healed. And he said, "By what authority do you do that?" I said, "You answer me a question first." I said, "Do you have the authority to do this?" He said, "Yes." I said, "Can you do it?" He said, "No." I said, "Isn't that strange. You got authority and can't. And according to you I don't have authority and can. Aren't you a bit mixed up?" Good-bye Mormon. Another big mouth shot. [laughter] He's gone, (phew) he didn't like that. Well, I had a ball of course. I might have been hunt Scripture, but, hallelujah, you know, "Ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise" [Thomas Gray - poem] in a case like that. I didn't know that I shouldn't be discerning, but, there's such a thing as discerning devils. And I was working in that realm at that time; know the spirits were there, knowing what they were, and what was doing it. Then the spirits were cast out, the kid was okay. So that was Scripture to that degree. But later on I understood where I was wrong, and God was good, He forgave me. Because it was ignorance. 53. Now: He said, [42] I do believe in a purgatory, but I believe it's right now. (There's a purging in Hebrews 12) You purge your own soul. "Purgatory" means "to purge." When you see you've doing something wrong, get out there and clean it out of you by confession, and crying, and fasting, and praying. Someone even laughed at me when the Lord came here not long ago, give me a vision that I always wanted to see about binding that serpent. (I don't know who laughed, he didn't tell us.) I always wondered how to--how if I should step out like that, then that's what I've wanted all my life. I begin to fast and pray. And he said, "What'd you do that for?" I said, "In there He said that I was not sincere enough." I had to come now to purge myself, not wait till you die and let some priest purge you. Purge your souls! Now then, the effect of a true purging is a sincerity, and sincerity means to be sold out to a condition, or a thing and the conditions that are with it. So, we're sold out to this Word and what goes with it. But, see, they took it out of the authoritative Word and put it over in the hands of some man-made dogma to bring money in the church, because they look at worldly things, worldly church, great powers and political powers. But God looks to His Word. And any words that's contrary to God's Word is wrong. [43] As far as I'm concerned it's the Word or nothing. Yes, sir. 54. You'll notice that Bro. Branham is in complete agreement what I have taught, that the Roman Catholic church started with the truth. Even with the pope, which was the vicar of Christ, which was Paul. That's right, he was the one. The next one is Irenaeus. But remember, the true vicar was the Holy Ghost Himself. But, He had to have a counterpart, He had to have someone to work through. But, the Catholic's began electing somebody. Sure, there were seven major vicar's so to speak. Seven spirits of God before the Throne. Seven men down here. Then at the end-time, remember he said up there they represented, and there they are here, and they came down through Seven Church Ages. And Who was in the midst? He was the Judge. And so therefore, He stood there backing every Word. And at the end-time the Full Word, brought Him into full view. Said, "Now you've been talking about Me all these years. You've been selling indulgences in My Name all these years. Building churches all these years, and here I'm now." He said, "I'm here, with My fan in My hand, let's see what happens." And they go like chaff before the wind. And He said, "The Bride (he said) come on out." So we came out. Now He said, "You didn’t even do it." He said, "You're the righteousness perfect Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ." You say, "What did you say?" "Well," he said, "don't you understand parallelism? There's a blessing and there's a curse. And don't you know what the real blessing is? The real blessing is lies in election and God's goodness. And whom so ever He will, He blesses and loves." He said, "Get above these things, (he said) you got to have fresh washing from this organizational junk you've been into. You thought putting your name on a book, and you doing this, and you doing that." He said, "It wasn't it at all, it's what I was doing." Now, you get where the real blessings are. You don't have to bless yourself anymore, see where the real curse is. The real curse is spiritual death. Not recognizing God. But, that's the picture through the Bible, not recognizing God. 55. Listen, what kind of a slumber shop did Eve go to that day, when the enemy could come by and say…after God had said It. "Oh, come on Eve, that's not the way it is." What kind of wool did she have pulled over her sheepy eyes? Don't think the devil can't pull the wool over your eyes. Your own wool too. He's done it. But this age now, it's too late. See, there's got to be a restoration. There's the blessing, there's the thing that going on. See? Now listen, We're back to the true cosmos. "In the beginning was the True Cosmos," the true order. What happened? Infiltration, perversion. But, God so loved His Own order, that the Son died for, sprinkled His Blood upon the very earth. That's why this earth is coming back. Don't you see the magnitude of God loving His Own order? He won't even lose one of those gnats, that He knew how many times he'd bat his eyes, and how many [gnats] it would take to make a pound of tallow, and they rendered the whole thing down. God's not going to lose any. That's why He said, He'll destroy those who destroy the earth. His Own order is coming back. We are on the verge of a Divine order, that's exactly why time has emerged and united with eternity! It was only done spiritually awhile ago. Now, it's done physically. 56. Time and space are in different category. Dimension, all these things. I know people think we're crazy. Well, praise God, I'm happy crazy. The only time I'm happy is when I'm crazy. So what do you do? You just feel sorry for a nut, don't you? "Oh, no, not a religious nut, not me." Put him on the skewer. Now let's see, "Who likes him well done? Medium? Rare?" [Someone indicated the time remaining for the tape] I'll just read one little bit here: He said, I read it here, he said, alright purge your souls. He said, "Yes, sir." He said, "That's the great thing." He said, "Anything contrary to the Word of God is wrong." As far as I'm concerned it's the Word or nothing. Yes, sir. The greatest purging is the purging of the mind, and we'll close with that. Bro. Branham said, "I don't believe in purging." But a purging is in the Bible. 57. And the purging of the mind is over here in 2 Corinthians 10:5. It says: (5) Casting down (reasoning's), and every high thing that (exalts) itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing (to) captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (Tells you right there.) That's the big battle going on. A prophet comes and it's a battle for the minds. Because, a man will put his strength if his mind is made up to a direction. Bro. Branham said, "Sure, I believe in purging, I believe these things, but I don't believe the way you believe." What will a true prophet do? He'll come and do what Bro. Branham did. He laid it out. He said, "I'm telling you what a true prophet is, I've got all the earmarks here, I'm a true prophet, and you turned me down flat." He said, "What's going on?" He said, "Judgment." He said, "You don't like the way I do things, I'm sorry, but I'm doing them anyway." He said, Because, that's the way it's got to be done." Now, he said, "Here's the earmarks, line it up, and show me where I am wrong." The prophet is dead on. Judgment is in the land brother/sister. But remember, the real blessing and the real cursing is in progress right now. We're getting out of here. Let's rise. Heavenly Father, again we praise and thank You. We can see the simplistic thing laid out before us, and it's something already done, for the prophet has come and gone. It's just like it was with John the Baptist, he came and he went. Just like with Jesus Christ Who couldn't do otherwise, He came and He went. And man stands back and looks over the situation and says, "Well, if we'd have been there, we would not have done that." Then turns right around and does it again, showing exactly what he is. But, Father, it could make us just scream with joy and relief to know that we didn't do it. That if there's one thing that begins to make us believe that we are a part of this whole thing, is the fact that we didn't do that. They were in the process of turning round, and round and round, until we make an absolute a hundred and eighty degree turn. Right turn around, absolute looking upon You. No more creeds, no more dogmas. And now, Father, there's just one thing and You know we always like that one thing to add, and we know in Your due time You're going to work it out, and that is, may our conduct, the very atmosphere of this being here that is so joined with You; also give forth the same fragrance, even though we are engaged in battle; that we are not in a battle of White House plumbers and dirty tricks, we're in a battle like Moses. If we're right, there is no way we can turn, but stand right with It, no matter what happens to anybody else. We can't move. If they're right, we're gone. Help us to leave the die-cast there in Your hands. Once we've delivered our souls, Lord, we do by delivering the Word as far as Word concern, and from there…deliver our soul by receiving Word. And, Lord God, if we really walk in faith, Your Spirit will move in that Word in human vessels, and there will be manifestations there also. Go with each one of us, guide, protect us, help us, keep us, and may we grow up as calves of the stall, rejoicing in the Lord God. Wonderful, wonderful Savior rejoicing in all that… [tapes ends] The Way of a True Prophet # 3 - Page PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 26